Serious question for Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico residents

[Qetesuesi]

They should start asking themselves if it's actually worth continuing permanent residence there.

Puerto Rico's power is out for six months.  That takes us to the verge of the start of the next hurricane season (April-November).  What if another monster strikes again?  I bet there'll still be lots of reconstruction not yet completed.  If that dam breaks it'll take ages to put to rights.  This sort of thing could repeat virtually annually Do they really want to spend most of the rest of their lives in 19th-century disaster recovery mode?

Shouldn't some of these areas simply be left largely to nature, with human visits only during strictly controlled periods?

[Sledgehead]

Interesting point. You could also speculate whether Florida hurricane insurance rates need to be much higher - to a point where it becomes uneconomical for some to live there.

Trouble is, if sea levels really do ramp up and storms become more intense, that kind of logic will see us all clinging to the sides of the Himalayas!

[dougless]

I think its a good question.  Many parts of the world are marginal, in terms of human occupation, at best.  For example, much of Bangladesh is built on an enormous river delta and it is vulnerable to sea level rises and melt water from the Himalayas.

[Sledgehead]

I think you could say that almost all densely populated parts of the world are marginal, in terms of human occupation, at best, if we consider projected sea-level rises to be a real possibility. That's cos we mostly live near historic trade hubs - ie ports.

The only guys who are safe are the good ol' boys living up mountains in Montana. No wonder they haven't bothered suing Hollywood for branding them inbred, far-right, cannibals: they know that's what's keeping us all from moving there!

[ExiledMatty]

I don't think the hurricane season starts until Aug, not April, certainly in the Caribbean anyway.